Holiness in our Midst: Session 79

SESSION LXXIX: ON EARTH DAY

How will you celebrate Earth Day, Monday, April 22, this year? What will you do during the coming year to honor creation?

My answer: The leaders of the movement are suggesting the theme, Protect Our Species, as a focus for 2019 Earth Day events. Because championing bees and butterflies is beyond my scope of influence, I will celebrate Earth Day this year by simply beginning to recycle my trash. It seems reasonable that I would have been doing this for years, but neither the waste hauler for my apartment building nor my city provide containers (or incentives) for separating paper, plastics, aluminum, glass or food waste. On my schedule, changing habits and finding receptacles will require intentionality of Herculean proportion. While I focus on implementation, I will also work on my year-long Earth Day goal: encouraging the city of Nevada, IA to consider curbside recycling and more community drop-off centers.

Story Circle Prompt: How will you celebrate Earth Day this year?

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

1.  Read the above reflection. In your journal, write a personal one-sentence mission statement about how you intend to care for creation during the coming year.

FOR GROUP STUDY:

1.   Read aloud Session LXXXIX.
2.   Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

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Note: Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com.